 An agricultural and biosystems engineer fixing anagricultural robot | |
| Occupation | |
|---|---|
| Names | Agricultural engineer, agricultural and biosystems engineer |
Occupation type | Profession |
Activity sectors | Engineering,agriculture |
| Description | |
| Competencies | Engineering,agriculture |
Fields of employment | Engineering,agribusiness,farm |
Related jobs | Agriculturist,farmer,farm worker,engineer |
Agricultural engineering, also known asagricultural and biosystems engineering, is the field of study and application ofengineering science and designs principles foragriculture purposes, combining the various disciplines ofmechanical,civil,electrical,food science,environmental,software, andchemical engineering to improve the efficiency offarms andagribusiness enterprises[1] as well as to ensure sustainability of natural and renewable resources.[2]
An agricultural engineer is anengineer with anagriculture background. Agricultural engineers make the engineering designs and plans in an agricultural project, usually in partnership with anagriculturist who is more proficient infarming andagricultural science.
The first use of agricultural engineering was the introduction ofirrigation in large scale agriculture in theNile and theEuphrates rivers before 2000 B.C. Large irrigation structures were also present inBaluchistan andIndia beforeChristian era. In other parts of Asia, agricultural engineering was heavily present inChina. In South America irrigation was practiced inPeru by theIncas and in North America by theAztecs.[3]
The earliest plough was theard or scratch-plough.[4]
Settlers practiced irrigation in the vicinity ofSan Antonio in 1715, theMormons practiced irrigation inSalt Lake Valley in 1847.[3]
With growingmechanization andsteam power in theIndustrial Revolution, a new age in agricultural engineering began. Over the course of the Industrial Revolution,mechanical harvesters andplanters would replace field hands in most of the food andcash crop industries.Mechanical threshing was introduced in 1761 by John Lloyd, Magnus Strindberg and Dietrich. Beater barthreshing machine was built byAndrew Meikle in 1786.[5] Acast ironplow was first made byCharles Newbold between 1790 and 1796.[3]
James Smith constructed amower in 1811.George Berry used a steamcombine harvester in 1886.[5]John Deere made his firststeel plow in 1833. The two horsecultivator was first about 1861.[3]
The introduction of these engineering concepts into the field of agriculture allowed for an enormous boost in the productivity of crops, dubbed a "second agricultural revolution" which consisted of:[6]
In the 20th century, with the rise in reliable engines in airplanes,cropdusters were implemented to disperse pesticides.Benjamin Holt built a combine harvester powered bypetrol in 1911.Erwin Peucker constructedbulldog tractors 1936.Deutz-Fahr produced the rotaryhay tedder in 1961.[5]
In the late 20th century,genetically modified foods (GMOs) were created, giving another large boost to crop yields and resistance to pests.[7]
Agricultural engineering has many sub-disciplines, the most common of which are listed here:
Agricultural machinery
Agricultural structures
Agricultural surveying
Aquaculture
Biomechanics and ergonomics
Forestry engineering
Irrigation
Land development
Pesticides
Precision agriculture
Soil management
Agricultural engineers may perform tasks such as planning, supervising, and managing the building of dairy effluent schemes,irrigation,drainage,flood water control systems, performingenvironmental impact assessments,agriculturalproductprocessing and interpret research results and implement relevant practices. A large percentage of agricultural engineers work in academia or for government agencies. Some are consultants employed by private engineering firms, while others work in industry for manufacturers of agricultural machinery, equipment, processing technology, and structures for housing livestock and storing crops. Agricultural engineers work in production, sales,management,research and development, orapplied science.
In 2006, Armenia's agricultural sector accounted for about 20 percent of the GDP. By 2010, it grew to about 25 percent.[8] This was and is higher than in Armenia's neighboring countries of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Iran, in which the contribution of agriculture to the GDP in 2017 was 6.88, 5.63, 6.08, and 9.05 percent, respectively.[9]
In thePhilippines, the professional designation isregistered agricultural and biosystems engineer'. These engineers are licensed and accredited after successfully passing the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Licensure Examination. A prospective agricultural and biosystems engineer must have a four-yearBachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.
The practice of agricultural and biosystems engineering also includes the following:
In the United Kingdom, the term agricultural engineer is often also used to describe a person who repairs or modifies agricultural equipment.
The American Society of Agricultural Engineers, now known as theAmerican Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), was founded in 1907.[10] It is a leading organization in the agricultural engineering field. The ASABE provides safety and regulatory standards for the agricultural industry. Thesestandards and regulations are developed on an international scale for fertilizers, soil conditions, fisheries, biofuels, biogas, feed machinery, tractors, and machinery.[1]
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